Media centre

Friday 2 Feb 2018

Railway upgrade work gets underway in Aberdeen

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

The latest phase of the Aberdeen-Inverness Improvement Project to upgrade the railway between the two cities is now underway in Aberdeen.

Over the next two months, engineers will be carrying out extensive devegetation work on the railway around Kittybrewster and Tillydrone to clear the way for the doubling of the track in this area.

The devegetation work is a vital part of the Scottish Government-funded project.

By the end of 2019 the scheme will deliver a half hourly service between Aberdeen and Inverurie and improve journey times and increase capacity between the two cities. The project will also provide a day-time hourly commuter service between Inverness and Elgin.

Network Rail will host a drop-in for residents in Sainsbury’s in Kittybrewster on Thursday, February 8, between noon and 7pm to talk about the overall project and the clearance work.

Over 11,000 letters have also been distributed along the route to make residents aware of the upcoming work.

Billy McKay, Network Rail senior programme manager for the project, said: "This project, and the new services it enables, will help to improve the flexibility the railway can offer the expanding communities around Aberdeen and Inverness.

"The project will open up new job and leisure opportunities for our customers and is an important part of our plan to build the best railway Scotland has ever had.

"We understand some our activities may disturb our neighbours in the short-term, but we are committed to delivering this project as quickly as possible and with a minimum of inconvenience for lineside communities."